When you think of music festivals in Scotland, your thoughts probably jump to mud, rain and TITP. However Scotland has a diverse range of music festivals that span a number of months, none of which by the way have reported missing cash machines! Music festivals take place all across Scotland, from Edinburgh to the Shetland Isles and even a few in the glorious west coast! The beauty of attending a music festival on the west coast is that you not only get to enjoy the music, but also the stunning scenery. Music festivals on the west coast have been gaining in popularity over the last few years. The idea of heading to the isles for a music festival may seem a bit daunting to a newbie, so we’ve rounded up the top music festivals on the west coast that you need to check out!
Tiree Music Festival 15th-17th July 2016
Tiree Music Festival was founded by Tiree local and member of the bank Skerryvore, who after performing at festivals around the world began thinking about how great it would be to have one back home in the ‘Hawaii of the North.’ The vision was to share the beauty and magic of Tiree with visitors. This was in 2010 and resulted in a 600 capacity sell out festival that has gone from strength to strength ever since. With the Fratelli’s headlining in 2015 its no surprise that Tiree Music Festival has increased its capacity to 2000 campers and been the winner of a multitude of awards, including The Best Small Event at the UK Event Awards in 2014.
www.tireemusicfestival.co.uk
BOWFEST 10th & 11th September 2016
The Best of the West Music Festival is an ‘end of season’ ‘start of winter’ showcase held annually in the grounds of Inverary Castle. The festival is a 2 day celebration of local food, drink and music and is renowned for being one of the best kept secrets on the west coast. The weekend includes 2 days of music with songs in both English and Gaelic. The reason the festival has become so popular is due to it’s stong focus on young, local talent alongside established performers. BOWFEST however is not just a music festival, the weekend is also designed to showcase the best of Argyll’s culinary larder with attendees being treated to cookery demonstrations and masterclasses. With some of the very best of Scottish talent being at BOWFEST, it is definitely a festival to put in your diary.
This year West Coast Tours have teamed up with the organisers of BOWFEST to provide special festival packages that include festival transport as well as entry to the festival. Buy your tickers here.
www.bowfest.co.uk
ButeFest 29th – 31st July
ButeFest is a family friendly festival with great music and amazing food and drink all set on the magical island of Bute, which by the way is only 33 miles from Glasgow. The main stage treats audience’s to some of the best indie/folk bands from both Scotland and the rest of the world, with Skerryvore once again making an appearance on the main stage at this years festival. ButeFest also celebrates the best of Scottish food and drink, with local producers attending the festival and the bars stocked with some of Scotlands best craft beers and ciders. If you really want to experience all Bute has to offer then you can take some time out from the festival and hop on our open top bus tour which takes just over an hour to complete!
www.butefest.co.uk
Hopefully we have inspired you to expand your musical taste buds this summer and experience a music festival on the west coast of Scotland. We’re sure that after one visit you’ll be hooked and want to come back and explore some more. If you do then you should check out our day tours, or if you’re feeling really adventurous our Three Isles Tour lets you take in the wonders of Mull, Iona and Staffa in a day.
